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08/10/2012

Before I dramatically stuck it to The Man by quitting my job back in 2008, my view on life wasquite different. In short, I assumed that to make a living you had to play by the rules. You had to go to school, get a degree, get another degree that made you more employable, and then climb the ladder to success...slowly and steadily.

Once I became an entrepreneur, that all changed. Suddenly, I made the rules. I controlled my destiny. Self-employment taught me a lot about myself and the concept of work -- and I continually fantasize about the day when I can convey these life lessons to my daughter.

Since that day is at least ten years away, here are a few of them so I don't forget:

1. The possibilities are endless.

I know it's cliche, but this saying helps me get through the down times, so I'm standing by it. When I was working for The Man, it was so easy to get down about stuff -- about my pay, or my boss, or how long it was taking to get a promotion. It was so easy to feel stuck. Entrepreneurialism taught me that there are always opportunities out there -- you just have to be creative enough to see them. Your life is what you make of it -- and there are always several prongs attached to every fork in the road.

2. Don't be afraid to toot your own horn.

I'm no longer just a writer -- I'm also a business owner. This means I have to market my business -- and brag about myself from time to time. For some reason, when I'm wearing my business hat this just comes naturally whereas before it was something I loathed. I realize now there's nothing shameful about selling yourself (hmmm...maybe I'll phrase that a little differently when conveying this point to my daughter).

3. Believe in yourself.

Ugh -- I actually hate this saying too, but bare with me.

When I interviewed for my first journalism job, I was terrified. I had so much difficulty answering the questions confidently, because I felt like I was lying the whole time.

While I meekly answered "yes" to this question, my inner voice was saying "HELL NO!!!" And the interviewer knew it.

If I could go back and give that 20-something a pep talk, I'd assure her that no one with a background in journalism is able to write about manufacturing right off the bat. I didn't have to be confident about my manufacturing knowledge, but I did have to be confident in the fact that I would work hard, ask questions, and figure it out. I'd also tell her that she was up against just one other person, and he didn't like to fly. It was a high-travel job.

4. You will succeed if you want it bad enough.

I think this is true for anything -- whether it be a career or a marriage. If you're willing to work at something, you'll succeed. You'll obviously come to bumps in the road, but if you're able to foresee them, think creatively and explore every solution to overcome them, you'll get past them. If you want to.

5. Plan.

I've seen a lot of businesses fail, mainly because they didn't have a feasible plan. Most notably: The summer smoothie place that opened on the waterfront last August. I mean, really?? Isn't that something you should open at the beginning of the summer?

Whether you're starting a business or planning your education, it's best to do the legwork and figure out what potential path you'd like to take ahead of time. If opportunities arise along the way that force you to deviate from said plan, so be it.

Hopefully by the time my daughter is able to digest these life lessons, I'll be successful enough that she'll actually listen. Something tells me, though, that I'll probably be faced with an annoyed eye-roll instead. I can't wait!!

08/02/2012

In case you couldn't tell, that's the sound of me exhaling. Deeply. Because ever since Addy discovered mobility a couple weeks ago, we've both been moving non-stop.

She's not walking yet, but she's doing everything else. She's cruising and crawling and falling all over the place. She's drawn to danger -- and anything breakable. She also just discovered the toilet yesterday (meaning she just realized it exists...not that she knows how to use it or anything). I'm sure that's going to be loads of fun once she realizes the art of flushing.

Today, however, she's in daycare. After answering a Craigslist ad a few months back, we found a part-time space for her -- in a city that doesn't have a lot of daycare spaces to begin with, nevermind part-time ones. So we feel pretty lucky.

These two days a week are supposed to be my designated work days -- but I'm finding it really hard to be productive. For starters - I'm TIRED. And not really used to having time to myself. It's glorious. I just want to do nothing but nap and lay on the couch all day.

Unfortunately, because daycare is costing us money, I feel an obligation to drum some up. Or at least earn the money that I'm making through my primary loyal and wonderfully-patient client, Axiom Mortgage Partners. So I'm easing into it today with some social media marketing. It's fun and doesn't force my brain to work too much. I'm also hoping to do a bit of networking and reconnect with some of my past clients and other leads that I never had a chance to follow up with. Someone once told me that the best piece of freelancing advice they ever received was "to enjoy the down times" -- and I plan to do just that!

I am a little worried about marketing my business when I only have a part-time schedule. The last thing I'd want to do is over-promise and under-deliver. I mean, I'm only sitting at a computer two days a week. While I check my smartphone regularly, making phone calls is difficult -- and taking on last-minute Tuesday projects that need to be turned around in a day is out of the question. That being said, I guess I can always cross that bridge when I come to it. And only take on those projects that I know I can do (and for which I can arrange babysitting).

My plan down the road is to place Addy in daycare three days a week once she hits 18 months. This is because daycare is significantly cheaper at that age, and I found a place that will let me put her in on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. So if I need to take a project on a Monday or a Friday, I could hopefully spend a long-weekend at the grandparents', or just work on Saturday/Sunday at home.

I'm really interested to hear how other freelancing mommas made this awkward stage work. Stories/anecdotes/advice are all welcome!